Rotary steam-engine



ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

No. 602,787. Patented Apr. 19, 1898.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I. WEPPLO.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

(Bgm f4 UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

ISAAC VVEPPLO, OF BANDON, MINNESOTA.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,787, dated April 19, 1898.

Application filed May 28,1897. Serial No. 638,607. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, lsAAc WEPPLO, of Bandon, in the county of Renville and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the followingY to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to rotary steam-en-l gines or motors; and it consists, essentially, of a rotary piston eccentrically mounted in apiston-chamber, and having a series of specifically-formed sliding valves or wings in connection therewith and coacting with each other to combine the impelling power of the steam admitted to the said piston-chamber, and having their outer ends engaging guidingflanges to provide a continual contact thereof when extended with the interior surface of the piston-chamber, together with a suitable steam-regulating cut-od and reversing mechanism.

The invention further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, which Will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the present invention is to utilize a given quantity of steam with greater edect and without loss of its impacting or impelling force and before exhaustion, and to overcome any tendency toward dead-center4 by successively admitting steam and causing it to contact with valves or wings.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a central vertical longitudinal section of a rotary steam-engine or motor'einbodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse central section of the device. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the valves or wings and a part of one of the guide-flanges coacting therewith. Fig. it is a detail perspective view of a portion of the cut-olf and reversing mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a modiiied form of construction.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates an outer shell or casing supported by a suitable base-rest 2 through the medium of bolts 3. On the upper part of the said shell or casing is mounted a cut-od support 4, providing a steam-receiving chamber having an induction-pipe 5 connected thereto. Within the interior of the shell or casing a circular piston chamber 6 is formed by an enveloping cylindrical body 6m, fixed within the outer shell or casing, and eX- tending eccentricall y through the said chamber is a shaft 7, on which is mounted a radiallyslotted rotary piston 8, wherein valves or wings 9 are loosely positioned and extend from end to end of the body G and longitudinally of the piston. The saidvalves or wings are preferably of elongated rectangular form and have their inner edges slightly concave, as at 10, thereby projecting the outer ends down- Wardly, and in said ends are formed longitudinally-disposed short grooves ll. The outer edges of the said valves or wings are straight and have guide-lugs 12 projecting upwardly therefrom, which bear against the outer edges of guide-flanges 13, formed by grooving the outer ends of the body 6a, as at 13TH The grooves 11 in the inner edges ofthe said valves or wings have elongated yielding rods 14 seated therein, and to the outer ends of said rods the inner ends of arms 15 are attached and embrace the opposite ends of the said valves or wings. The outer ends of each of the arms is formed With an inner right-angular extension 16, extending into the groove 13 and bearing upon the guide-hangs and constructed as set forth. The angular extension 16 of the arms 15 draws the valves or wings outwardly from the piston in view of the eccentric arrangement of the latter in the said piston-chamber, which is circular, and the rods 14 have a yielding tendency to reduce wear on the outer edges of the said valves or Wings incident to the frictional bearing of the latter against the wall of the piston-chamber.

In Fig. 5 a slight modification in the construction and arrangement of the parts is shown, and therein the arms l5 have curved shoes 17 attached thereto, which travel in the groove 13 and bear upon the ange formed by the Wall of the piston-chamber. Over the opposite ends of the body 6 radially-slotted heads 18 are mounted, through which the arms and the adjacent portions of the valvesor Wings are adapted to extend, the slots in the said heads being long enough to compensate IOO for the movement of the valves or wings. Over the said heads 1S clamping-plates 19 are mounted and united to the said heads by a suitable number of screws. The heads and clamping-plates rotate with the piston around the shaft 7, and to secure this operation a pin 2O projects outwardly from each end of the said piston and extends through the heads and clamping-plates. Outside of the heads and clamping-plates are applied the opposite end plates 2l of the outer shell or casing 1, and between the same and the clampingplates 19 nuts 22 are mounted on screwthreaded portions of the shaft to hold the body 6 in proper position in the casing and to cause an alinement of an exhaust-port 23, formed in the lower portion thereof and which extends therearound by means of a channel 24 to always insure communication with a lower exhaust-port 25, constructed in the bottom of the outer shell or casing. To rmly position the opposite ends of the outer casing, retaining-plates 26, having openings therein through which the shaft extends, are brought to bear directly against the said ends and are also formed with lower slots 27, opening outwardly through the bottom edges and passed over diametrically-disposed pins 28, attached to the said heads and passed through the said slots 27 to prevent rotation of the said retaining-plates. After the said retaining-plates are mounted in position nuts are applied to the several parts and suitable packings will be introduced at all points to insure a steam-tight connection.

In the side of the body 6 opposite to that in which the exhaust-port is formed two ports 29 are located and adapted to be used for the admission of steam in operating the piston in either one of two directions. These ports are located under and aline with corresponding ports 30, formed in the bottom of the steamchamber located on the top of the outer shell i A third opening 31 is also located lor casing. in said bottom of the steam-chamber and comthe body 6 to the exhaust-port in the bottom of the said outer shell or casing. against the bottom of the steam-chamber is 'adapted to span the ports.

ranged to operate the rota-ry piston in either from `either one sid-e or the other, in accordtion with thechannel in the bodyG, as stated,

steam-chamber, a-nd luy-moving the said valve be stopped, as will be readily understood.

jecting upwardly therefrom and through a steam-packed cover-plate 36, and to the upper end thereof is attached an operating-lever 37, havinga spring-loop 3S in connection therewith adapted to engage a toothed segment supported on the cut-off or steam-chamber, and by this means the valve can be operated. The notches are so arranged in the segment as to bring the valve into proper position when the lever is turned into engagement therewith.

ln operation the steam is permitted to enter the rotary-piston chamber and strike the valves or wings and rotate the piston, successive steam-chambers being formed by the extension of the valves from the rotary piston and the speed of the said piston thereby accelerated as well as dead-center prevented. A new supply of steam is continuously fed to the rotary-piston chamber, and the live steam striking the adjacent valve or wing will impart a new impetus to the rotary piston in addition to the impacting and impelling power of the steam contained between the valves or wings which are moving in advance. This operation continues until the said valves or wings reach the exhaust-ports and the steam is permitted to pass outwardly from the engine or motor,

The device as an entirety is positive in its action and can be applied to any mechanism for driving a shaft or imparting a momentum to other parts.

While steam has been set forth in connection with the engine, it will be understood that air or water can be substituted without rearranging the parts.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a rotary vengine of the character set forth, the combination of an outer shell or casing supported upon a suitable base, an interior shell or casing having a circular pistonchamber formed therein, a shaft extending n concentrically through said piston-chamber municates with the channel exten-ding around having a radially-slotted rotary piston theref on, valves or wings movably carried by the Resting:

said piston and having lugs engaging the op- 'y posite ends of the piston-chamber, .arms with a spring-pressed rotary valve 32, having two ports 33 therein, which are adapted to aline f with either oneof the ports 29 in the body 6', i formed slightly concave at their back: edges and also having an under exhaust-cavity 34,

outer angular ends tted to the opposite ends of the said valves or wings, the latter being 4and provided with grooves adjacent to the g opposite ends, and yielding rods seated in the It will be understood that one set of ports in the valv-e and steam-chamber could be arback portions of the said valves or wings, Iand having the said arms connected to opposite ends thereof, substantially las described. one of two directions and the cavity 'exhausts f 2. In a rotary engine of the character set l 2 forth, the combination of a body having a ance wlth the movement of the rotary piston. The said cavity is thrown into communicapiston-chamber therein, a piston concentrically mounted in said piston-chamber, valves g Aor Wings movably carried by the said piston, through one of the ports in the bottom of the and having grooves-on their inner edges, arms L embracing the opposite ends of the valves or so as to shut olf all the ports the yengine willV wings having inwardly-extending ends standing over theouter portions of the said valves The said valve has an operating-stein 35 proor wings, guides for engaging the inwardly- IOO IIO

izo

extending outer ends of the said arms, and radially-slotted end plates in which the said arms have movement, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine of the character set forth, the combination of a body having a piston chamber therein, a rotary piston mounted in said body, valves or Wings movably carried by the said piston, arms embracing the opposite ends of the said valves or wings, slotted end plates vin which said arms have movement, clamping-plates engaging the said end plates, guides for the said arms and means set forth for controlling the ingress and exhaust of steam, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine of the character set specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

` ISAAC WEPPLO.

Witnesses:

FRANK LAHTI, CHAs. LAHTL 

